On the surface, it may appear that the opposite is true. Someone who coaches Canada's world junior hockey team during a lockout year could be in a rather enviable position, considering the wealth of talent at his disposal.

But managing that team, its personalities and its expectations has to be a daunting task.

Nothing short of gold will suffice. In the Olympics, a non-hockey-playing Canadian can return home with a silver or bronze medal and be feted. Different perceptions apply with regard to world junior bling.

Complicating matters, there is not nearly enough ice time to placate everyone. All the Canadian players are workhorses for their major-junior teams. Power-play duty is a given.

At the world juniors, by contrast, a prolific Canadian Hockey League scorer is liable to be the 13th forward. If you are not an intuitively adept manager of people, and someone who has a feel for the team dynamic, there could be a flirtation with disaster or evidence of dissension.

Take baseball, for example. This week, Sportsnet is replaying games from the 1992 World Series, won by the Toronto Blue Jays. The Blue Jays were managed so well by Cito Gaston, who mastered the fine art of getting out of the way.

Gaston's contributions to Toronto's World Series titles in '92 and '93 are often minimized, and occasionally derided. It is unfair, really, because Gaston was smart enough to know that he didn't have to outsmart everyone.

He fostered and maintained an environment that was conducive to success by allowing the talent to work in the Jays' favour. The results speak for themselves.

Spott has been more assertive and proactive, when required, but he also knows when not to overcoach or over-react.

Consider the case of goaltender Malcolm Subban, who was somewhat porous during the world junior selection camp and in the pre-tournament games. Externally, there were calls for Spott to demote Subban, but the head coach was not swayed by the armchair coaches who embrace social media.

Spott kept professing his confidence in Subban, with evident rewards. Subban is a major reason why Canada was undefeated in the round-robin portion of the tournament in Ufa, Russia. He was especially impressive against the United States and Russia, helping Canada secure an automatic berth in a semifinal on Thursday.

The Canadian head coach also stayed the course with regard to team discipline. He kept emphasizing the need to eradicate foolish penalties, yet they persisted into the early stages of the preliminary round. But now, Spott's crew is performing with the requisite discretion, whereas a major penalty assessed to Russia led to Canada's first two goals in its 4-1 victory Monday.

Canada's third goal was scored by 17-year-old phenom Jonathan Drouin, who was elevated to first-line duty for the game against Russia. That move was another example of Spott demonstrating a command of team dynamics.

It would have been easy for Spott to embrace the status quo after three consecutive victories, especially considering the makeup of what was then known as the Lockout Line.

Three players who would likely be in the NHL if not for the labour dispute -- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Mark Scheifele and Jonathan Huberdeau -- had skated alongside one another for the first three round-robin games.

However, Spott did not like what he saw during Sunday's 2-1 nail-biter against the Americans. He thought the first line needed a refresh and therefore decided to put Drouin beside Nugent-Hopkins and Scheifele. Huberdeau became part of a troika that also included Ryan Strome and Ty Rattie. Canada responded with its best game of the tournament.

Obviously, the most important contests lie ahead. The past three world junior championships have shown that Canada can taste disappointment, and even heartbreak, after sparkling in the round-robin portion.

Nonetheless, it seems clear that Canada is trending in the right direction. As the tournament progresses, it becomes increasingly evident that Spott's philosophies are being absorbed by the players -- many of whom are being asked to assume roles to which they are unaccustomed and perhaps uncomfortable.

And if the roles happen to change, the transition is seamless.

That is a testament to the commitment and adaptability of the players, but let's not overlook the head coach's role in the team's evolution.

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